Talking B____X

Tell us about life with your BX, or indeed life in general!
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M

Post by M »

Philip Chidlow wrote: Have you seen the Philibusters site? (see my signature)
I have and, bloody hell its Vera - bitchqueen from hell. The white H reg 1.7TZD on the other Phils page. I have that same photo somewhere used in the ebay listing when I bought the car (but not off Phil).
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Philip Chidlow
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

That pic's a place holder until Phil sends me a pic of his white TZD.
I grabbed that pic off Google images!
:D
• 1992 Citroen BX TZD Turbo Hurricane
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M

Post by M »

Oh yeah - found it - bollocks he sold it for £250, I bought it off him for £120! AND that was exactly £119 too much given what a state the thing was in.
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The morning we got it back....
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Screwed back together again following LOTS of welding, new driveshafts, new CV boots, new ball joints, new HP pipes, new LHM ( you do not want to know what the priordeal soup was that filled the LHM tank), service, new cam end oil seal, new HP drive belt, new timing belt, new radiator fan thermostat, new brake calliper and so on.....
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Well, the pic's now updated, Marty... No more Veras to worry about.

Having watched a bit of Group B footage yesterday, I found this: BX glimpse

The best footage of the BX is fleeting, towards the end.

This is a shot of a French TV showing the BX departing Paris for Aix-les-bains.

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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Buggeration. Not BX issue but Fiat issue. Replaced the idle control stepper motor with a good s/h one last September which cured the problm of stalling until this week when the Ulysse has started to do it again. eBay to the rescue: bought a new motor and will have to fit that. I assume it's just a case of taking the old one off and putting the new one on...
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Well, as is so often the case, the Ulysse problem's disappeared for the time being. Still will fit the new stepper motor just to be on the safe side...

There's a new and part-worn tyre place down the road and I've been waiting for them to get a decent pair of tyres for the Ulysse's rear (195 65 15's) - popped in today and they had just got in a pair of 'nearly new' Continental Eco-contacts. Bought and fitted within 15 mins - £52 the pair - and with a year guarantee. I am pleased with that.

*UPDATE* So impressed I went and did the same for the front!
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

A "stupendously incompetent" government efficiency drive designed to save £57m will end up costing £81m, MPs say.

The Department for Transport scheme aimed to cut administration expenses by basing payroll, finance and personnel services all on one site in Swansea. But the Commons public accounts committee said the project had been rushed through, was not yet fully introduced and was set to make losses.

The new computer system had even issued messages in German, the MPs added. But the DfT said the scheme was now beginning to bring "real progress".

The DfT had attempted to bring in "shared services" project - part of a wider £1.4bn Whitehall savings plan - in a year, the committee said. The MPs criticised the department for setting itself a deadline of April this year for getting all its agencies involved, calling this "overly optimistic".

Staff had "little confidence" in the new computer system, which "in some cases" was worse than the old one. Committee chairman Edward Leigh, Tory MP for Gainsborough, said it was one of the most worst cases of "project management" he had seen. "The department knew that it was pushing things with such a tight timetable but, without robust challenge to such a risky strategy, ploughed on confidently," he added.

"The result was lamentable. The underlying computer system was inadequately procured and tested, resulting in an unstable set-up when it was switched on," he added.

Eight months after the departments own deadline had passed, only two of its seven agencies were using the new system, Mr Leigh said. In its report, the committee said: "Despite the extent of mismanagement in this case, no individuals have been dismissed or properly held to account."

Mr Leigh called on the department to deliver a functioning, trustworthy and beneficial system.

The shared services centre in Swansea was originally forecast to cost £55m and lead to £112m of savings - a benefit of £57m. But the department now estimates the programme will cost £121m and save £40m, meaning taxpayers will have to make up the £81m difference.

Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said: "It is scandalous that at a time when Labour mismanagement has put our public finances in such a disastrous mess that Geoff Hoon's officials are pouring taxpayers' money down the drain. Hard working taxpayers will be incensed that a project that was supposed to save money will actually cost them £81 billion - money that would have been far better spent on much needed transport improvements that Labour have promised so many times and failed to deliver."



:twisted: :evil: :twisted: :evil:
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Here we are, another Christmas over. Another year ahead. I trust the following year will disprove all the doom-merchants and we will all be able to somehow evade the worst of the financial crisis.
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Considering the (to me) interesting nuggets posted on my blog, I haven't got much in the way of feedback. I'm not being vain, but if no-one replies I am at a loss as to what to think of the subject matter - it might mean something to me but heck, am I really such a sad f*** that nobody shares my interest? Anyway, for the sake of editorial sanity, did anyone have any response to the Group B stuff? After all Citroen - if they can be proud of anything other than their heritage - e.g. BX - they must be delighted by their WRC success.
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Post by ed4ferrets »

Calm down dear!! I enjoy your blog, just don't have much to say!
'86 Monte Carlo brings much nostalgia :( :wink: Gotta love those Metro's>
How sad am I posting at midnight......... Happy new year to all \:D/ drunk
Marty said: "Take some small comfort from the fact that the driver of the other car, having failed the breath test will even now be in a little cell, with luck they will double him up with some mean bastard who will be tattooing a fandango on his arse"

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Post by CitroXim »

ed4ferrets wrote: How sad am I posting at midnight......... Happy new year to all \:D/ drunk
You're not the only one Ed!!!

In my defence m'lud, I have been out enjoying a very sociable eveing but back home now and 100% sober to boot :roll:

Happy New Year everybody :D
Jim

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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Happy New Year everyone - and I was being a bit 'down' in my last post - SORRY to one and all!

Hey, what a year we have ahead!

Anyone going to the Race Retro Show in March BTW??
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docchevron
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Post by docchevron »

I'm working on not being sober...

I do read your blog Phil, and everyone elses, Ijust dont always respond.
Now thats not to say I dont often think "hhmm, well yes but" or "yes indeed" or whatever, I just tend to take more of a readers mode for blogs rather than view it as a open topic..

Anyway, HNY chaps.
Smokes lots, because enough's enough already!

Far too many BX's, a bus, an ambulance a few trucks, not enough time and never enough cash...
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Post by Way2go »

docchevron1472 wrote: Anyway, HNY chaps.
Yep thats the best message to one & all. :D :D :D
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Well 2009 has got started in an interesting way. A few sponsors have pledged their support for our BXagon team. Looks like the GTi will be getting the Speedlines it so richly deserves. Kitch's news is truly newsworthy - and we look forward to all being invited to his wedding (only kidding:wink: :D )

And I should still be in work next month which has got to be a bonus in the current climate. The worry now is that many who would have worked out a way of taking part in the BXagon will now be unable to thanks to the machinations of Global Finance and the government who are slaves to it. I will redouble my efforts to try to get a sizeable discount from the hotels we will be staying at, but nothing will work better in our favour than an improved exchange rate. Lordy! It was on parity to all intents a purposes even at the Post Office today (usually a pretty good source of tourist money exchange)...

:shock: I've just noticed that I'm close to 5000 posts (not that I usually monitor!)... so I will have to make each one count from now on if I can, otherwise it will appear to some as obsessive! :oops:
• 1992 Citroen BX TZD Turbo Hurricane
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